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Howlin Wilf and the Vee-Jays - Ya Ya
02 Got My Eyes On You

It seems as though everyone is singing the praises of newly discovered
sensation James Hunter. The comparisons to greats such as Sam Cooke and
James Brown are just - although he is no imitator. Hunter is blessed
with a wonderfully natural vocal which shines when he performs his
soulful Rhythm & Blues. His 2006 album "People Gonna Talk" was his U.S.
breakthough, but the James Hunter story actually begins some 20 year
earlier.

In 1986 Hunter formed his first Rhythm & Blues band The Veejays, taking
on the psydonym Howlin' Wilf. They were soon the heppest cats in Camden
Town - popular enough to give up their day jobs and go pro. Within a
year, Howlin' Wilf & The Veejays has cut their first album, the Boz
Boorer produced "Cry Wilf", and had appeared on national TV courtesy of
legendary music-show "The Tube". As the 1980s progressed, Wilf and the
band issued a steady stream of vinyl, skipping from label to label
including Waterfront and Unamerican Activities. Their popularity as a
live act saw them tour throughout Europe and into the USA. At the end
1989, the band split. Platinum blonde guitarist Dot was seen playing in
Shout Sister Shout, whilst Wilf performed under variations of his name
including Howlin' Wilf & His Band, James Hunter & The Jokers and The
James Hunter Trio, before finally settling simply as James Hunter.

If you have discovered James Hunter recently, this may be your first
encounter with his work as Howlin' Wilf - a more stripped-down affair
without the double-sax attack of his current outfit. However, those
wonderful vocals, razor-sharp rockin' blues guitar licks and fabulous
songs were there in abundance. The VeeJays could play Rock 'n' Roll
just as well as they could play Rhythm & Soul. The performance on this
film shows that Hunter is no overnight success - he has been a great
singer, songwriter and musician for 20+ years and is now gaining the
recognition that he deserves.

His new-found popularity has also been marked by the 20th anniversary CD
re-issue of his debut "Cry Wilf" album (Big Beat Records CDWIKM 51)

Howard Raucous (March 2007)

www.cherryred.co.uk